Disabled driver with Blue Badge travels from Orkney to Inverness only to be hit by £100 parking penalty
A private car park in Inverness city centre is the target of complaints including one from a driver with a Blue Badge disabled card.
Andrew Peacher and his wife were visiting Inverness from Orkney, but they are now facing a £100 parking penalty after using the Rose Street retail centre car par park operated by Britannia Parking who accuse them of not displaying a ticket.
Mr Peacher said they tried to pay the 50p charge for one hour but were unable to do so as the ticket machine didn’t appear to be working.
Britannia Parking do not accept the Blue Badge as giving the right of free parking, and a sign at the entrance states all their terms and condition apply also to Blue Badge holders.
However the Peachers, who have appealed the £100 penalty from Britannia Parking, say the sign is not clear enough and is too high to be read by a disabled person from a car.
He said: “There is no obvious sign to say disabled have to pay. We did not ‘knowingly not pay’ as we had been in that car park before before with the Blue Badge.
“I believe this is the only park in Inverness where disabled have to pay.”
Britannia along with some other private car parks in the city have also been subject of complaints over “fines” being issued when their payment systems were not working properly and not issuing tickets.
Another driver who has been sent debt collector “threatening letters” over his £100 penalty, is now boycotting the businesses beside the car park that include Starbucks, Home Bargains and Iceland.
This driver, who did not wish to be named, said: “I have been in touch with the owners of Starbucks in that retail park as I had visited their shop on that day. I have left it with them to look into and haven't heard from them or the debt collection agency in the interim period.
“I let them know I've not visited their shop since I first received correspondence from Britannia Parking and don't intend to through principle. That goes for the other shops in the same retail park.
“I tried to reason with Britannia Parking and pay the money for my period of parking (£1 for the 46 minutes I was there) through the pay app on my phone, yet they continued to demand the fine money of £100 and then passed my info on to debt collectors to send threatening letters.”
When Highland Council was contacted they referred to their information regarding the local authority Blue Badge scheme - and it made interesting reading including that the scheme is to aid easier access to services, not simply to provide free parking.
It revealed: “The Blue Badge parking concessions only prioritise badge holders to park on-street. They don’t apply to off-street privately operated car parks, such as supermarket car parks or on privately owned roads, such as those you find at airports. There may, however be special concessions for badge holders in these areas and you should check for signs detailing these.
“The Highland Council offers free parking to Blue Badge holders in all our off-street car parks except the Multi Storey in Inverness. A Blue badge allows on-street, free parking without time restriction in Pay and Display bays, on single and double yellow lines without loading restrictions as long as you are parked safely and your badge is valid. Some on-street disabled bays are time limited so please check the signage.”
A Highland Council spokesperson added: “The car park in question is privately run by Britannia Parking. If anyone believes they have been illegally charged for car parking fees then they should contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 600 or www.consumeradvice.scot and seek advice.
“If a breach of the law has taken place then it will be passed on to the appropriate Local Authority Trading Standards.”
